Ever since I first heard of roasting strawberries, I’ve been waiting for a chance to try it out. Since strawberries are starting to show up around here, I tossed a pound of them with balsamic vinegar and threw them in the oven. The result is wonderfully concentrated flavor, perfect for savory or sweet applications. I chose to use them in this savory salad with quinoa. The quinoa is a great foil to the strawberries, absorbing their juices and providing a good base for the salad, along with spinach. Walnuts on top for crunch and blue cheese to balance the sweetness of the strawberries make this salad a winner. It comes together quickly, with the quinoa cooking while the strawberries roast, and I liked it best served at room temperature – perfect for packing for lunch. I think this would also be a great unique addition to a brunch spread.

Roasted Strawberry Quinoa Salad
Yield: 3 – 4 entrees or 6 – 8 sides

Ingredients:

3/4 cup quinoa, rinsed well

1 1/2 cups water

1 lb strawberries, hulled and halved

1 1/2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

8 ounces spinach, torn into pieces

1 Tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper, to taste

1/2 cup toasted walnuts, roughly chopped

2 ounces blue cheese, crumbled

Method:

Preheat oven to 400°F.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, toast 3/4 cup quinoa, rinsed well until fragrant, about 5 minutes.

Add 1 1/2 cups water, and bring to a boil, then lower heat, cover, and let simmer until the quinoa has absorbed all of the water, about 20 minutes.

When the quinoa is done, remove from heat, and fluff with a fork, then set aside to cool.

Toss 8 ounces spinach, torn into pieces with 1 Tbsp olive oil, 1 Tbsp of the balsamic strawberry juices from the roasting pan, and salt and pepper, to taste. Adjust the quantities, as needed (you want the spinach to be a little overdressed since you will be adding more ingredients to the salad).

Top the spinach with the cooked quinoa, roasted strawberries, 1/2 cup toasted walnuts, roughly chopped, and 2 ounces blue cheese, crumbled. This salad can be served immediately (with the quinoa and strawberries still warm) or refrigerated and served cold or at room temperature.